Despite inflation continuing to rise, Prince Edward County will take a look at ways to reduce its operating budget in 2024.
At Committee of the Whole Thursday, council passed a resolution from Councillor Bill Roberts asking staff to look into some creative options to reduce the 2024 operating budget by 10% or about $3 million over 2023.
Councillor John Hirsch fully supported the motion calling it a laudable goal to find new ways to potentially reduce expenditures.
“Really if we’re honest, we spend budget week nibbling at the edges and that is not the time to be setting important direction. So, this initiative, which starts out in the first paragraph by saying that staff engage with council in, in discussion on direction for budget early on in the process, I think that’s really important.”
When questioned by fellow councillors, Roberts, suggested it wouldn’t have to be 10%.
“I wouldn’t expect us to get hung up on the goal. Where we’re going to land is, an agreed expectation. And that’s part of the discussion that I’m expecting or we should expect if we pass this motion, the CAO to come back to us in the engagement.”
CAO Marcia Wallace told council summer is the right time to begin the process.
“We typically start budget work in June. Any later than summer, it’ll be too late to really make big adjustments and any earlier we wouldn’t have the preliminary work to, to be able to come up with options and ideas. So, I think that it’s, I certainly think if, if you want a report like this, this is the right timeline.”
Roberts’s resolution suggests saving options focus on technological modernization, process improvements and other creative solutions that minimize impact to service delivery.
His resolution only pertains to the operating budget but Roberts says if staff’s investigations reveal suggestions for the capital budget then those could also be considered.
No firm date was given to staff to have a report ready.
The resolution is up for final approval at council’s next meeting on April 11.
